Africa – English Lyrics

• By: Toto

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a lyrical journey with Toto's iconic hit, "Africa." This song offers a unique opportunity to explore English through its evocative storytelling, painting a romanticized picture of a distant land. Discover the compelling blend of vivid imagery and universal themes of longing and personal reflection, all set to a distinctive and memorable synth-pop sound that has resonated with generations worldwide.

[English]

I hear the drums echoing tonight

But she hears only whispers of some quiet conversation

She's coming in, 12:30 flight

The moonlit wings reflect the stars that guide me towards salvation

I stopped an old man along the way

Hoping to find some old forgotten words or ancient melodies

He turned to me as if to say, "Hurry boy, it's waiting there for you"

...

It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you

There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do

I bless the rains down in Africa

Gonna take some time to do the things we never had

...

The wild dogs cry out in the night

As they grow restless, longing for some solitary company

I know that I must do what's right

As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti

I seek to cure what's deep inside

Frightened of this thing that I've become

It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you

There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do

I bless the rains down in Africa

Gonna take some time to do the things we never had

...

Hurry boy, she's waiting there for you

It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you

There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do

I bless the rains down in Africa

I bless the rains down in Africa (I bless the rain)

I bless the rains down in Africa (I bless the rain)

I bless the rains down in Africa

I bless the rains down in Africa (gonna take the time)

Gonna take some time to do the things we never had

...

Key Grammar Structures

• I hear the drums echoing tonight

  ➔ Simple present + present participle (gerund)

  ➔ The verb "hear" is in the simple present to describe an action happening now, and "echoing" is a present participle that functions like a gerund after the verb.

• She's coming in, 12:30 flight

  ➔ Present continuous (progressive)

  ➔ "She is" contracted to "She’s" and the verb "coming" is in the present continuous to talk about a planned future action.

• The moonlit wings reflect the stars that guide me towards salvation

  ➔ Defining relative clause with "that"

  ➔ "that" introduces a defining relative clause "that guide me towards salvation", which gives essential information about "the stars".

• I stopped an old man along the way

  ➔ Simple past

  ➔ "stopped" is the simple past form of "stop", used to describe a completed action in the past.

• He turned to me as if to say, "Hurry boy, it's waiting there for you"

  ➔ "as if" + infinitive (purpose)

  ➔ "as if" introduces a purpose clause; the infinitive "to say" shows what his turning was intended "to" do.

• It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you

  ➔ Informal future "going to" (gonna) + infinitive

  ➔ "gonna" is the colloquial contraction of "going to" used to express future intention, followed by the infinitive "to drag".

• There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do

  ➔ Relative clause with "that" + modal verb "could"

  ➔ "that" introduces the relative clause "that a hundred men or more could ever do", and "could" expresses ability or possibility in the past/future.

• As sure as Kilimanjaro rises like Olympus above the Serengeti

  ➔ Comparative structure "as ... as"

  ➔ "as sure as" uses the "as ... as" pattern to compare certainty to the rising of Kilimanjaro, showing equality.

• I seek to cure what's deep inside

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose + relative clause "what's"

  ➔ "to cure" is an infinitive expressing purpose, and "what's deep inside" is a relative clause (short for "what is deep inside") acting as the object of "cure".